The Bossier banner., 1887-05-19

oHSi0 Andn Is expected TO exercise
oversight and the safety of others is
concerned. Look at the street-car con-
ductors. They handle considerable
money, and. among the dishonest or
suspicious who ride on the cars, enjoy
the privilege Of being able n knock
down They move about good deal.
and now and then, as my observation
proves, find time to carry on quiet
little Irritation. Even the drivers are
companionable; they are appreciated.
"But no appreciation is layished on
the elevator man. He dries up in lit
tie while. He has to. He receives no
encouragement to give his views on
matters and things, nobody asks for his
opinion, nobody is concerned about him,
and he is made to feel this every minute
in the day. One signal proof of this
you will find in the effect the business
has on members of the colored race.
You know it's natural with them to be
effusively gracious and benignant.
Well, put colored man running an
elevator and his whole disposition is
changed. He becomes sour, cranky.
He loses all his native politeness, should
he ever have any, and instead of friends
who might aid him, will make enemies.
My observation is that elevator men APP
pear different from other people be-
cause they are not treated like other
people. =
The views of this young attorney were
impaired to one of the class he spoke
about. a man of great deliberation and
as stolid in look and manner as any
other man in the business. Some effort
was needed to get from him an express
sion of opinion, but once started he had
lots to say. "Yes, sir,'' he went on,
running an elevator does tend to make
man hold his tongue. Medical men
know this well. I'll give you an in
stance. The man who runs the elevator
on the other side of the street, the build
ing just across the way, is barber by
trade. When he came to Chicago he
had no trouble getting first-class job.
He worked in a nice shop down town,
but in few days he was discharged.
He got work in another shop and was
discharged again. He was country
barber, though good one. but he was
an awful talker. This habithe acquired
in the country. where he learned his
trade, and whenever he came to shave
man he thought he'd have to say
something. In fact, he couldn't help
himself. That barber would talk about
the weather all day. Itwas all habit,
but the customers didn't like it. They
complained to the boss, the boss would
demonstrate with the barber, but he
always forgot himself and kept on talk
ing, until at last he'd have to be dis
charged. After awhile he got to be SO
well known that no barber would give
him steady work. They said to him:
You talk too much. Talking to GUS
toners has gone out of fashion. Break
yourself of the habit. He couldn't.
He tried and tried; then friend told
him to 60 to doctor:
.sThe doctor told him what to do in
minute. He said: "Get job run
ming an elevator; that's the only thing
that will cure you of talking And it
did. In two months that barber used
to work the elevator all day without
saying word. He never says any
thing now unless first spoken to, then
he answers as briefly as any man can. !"
From other sources it was learned
that many rare virtues are required OF
the holder of this exacting position.
He must be sober, watchful, ard yield
uneomplaining obedience to instruc-
tions. He must know the name OF
| every tenant in the building, the floor
his Office is on and its number, the Of
fee hours of all, and, as very often they
number two hundred and over, it re-
quires pretty good memory to keep
track of every thing. Then, too. he is
expected to tell whether Mr.. So-and-
So came up on the elevator '.this
morning." or '.has he returned from
lunch yetP'' or, if tenant has
changed his Office, to give his questioner
the address. All these questions are
put him hundreds of times during the
day, and hundreds Of more times he is
kept busy answering the little register
bell in his cab. He must remember
what Office is wanted by those not fa-
miliar with the building and not fail to
stop the elevator for the ladies who
want to get out at a certain floor and
who forget all about what they want,
once they commence talking with each
other. When that numerous person,
the professional funny man, can get no
one to listen to his stories it is the duty
of the elevator man to hear him meekly,
then trust to his intuition to laugh in
the right place. In his lexicon OF daily
use there is no such word rs ''ehest.
nuts If there was he wouldn't use it.
It would tend only to foster argument,
and he leaves argument to others The
silence that is golden is the elevator
mans. He may be Etaciturn but Al
unruly tongue never gets him int